# CD123

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/cd123/  
OnCo record `cd123` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

CD123 is the interleukin-3 receptor alpha chain, present on every blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm and on the blasts and leukaemia stem cells of 70 to 80% of acute myeloid leukaemias. Tagraxofusp and pivekimab sunirine target it in that rare neoplasm, and CAR-T cells against it in AML must spare the normal blood-forming progenitors that also carry it.

## Summary

CD123 is the interleukin-3 receptor alpha chain (IL3RA), expressed on leukaemic stem cells and plasmacytoid dendritic cells. It is universally present in blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) and found on blasts and leukaemic stem cells in roughly 70 to 80 percent of AML. Tagraxofusp, a CD123-directed cytotoxin, was the first approved therapy for BPDCN, and pivekimab sunirine (Decnupaz) followed with approval in 2026 for the same disease. CD123 is also a CAR-T target in AML, where the challenge is sparing normal haematopoietic progenitors that carry the antigen. Capillary leak syndrome with the fusion-toxin approach and durability of CAR-T responses remain open questions. The plain version: CD123 is an interleukin receptor over-abundant on a rare aggressive blood cancer and on leukaemia stem cells.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-04
- Tags: adc-target
- Symbol: IL3RA
- Class: surface-antigen
- Biology: Expressed on leukaemic stem cells, plasmacytoid dendritic cells.
- Where found: BPDCN; AML

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interleukin-3_receptor
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interleukin-3_receptor

## Connected records

- cancers: [Acute myeloid leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/aml/), [Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN)](https://onco.cc/cancers/bpdcn/), [Hairy cell leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/hairy-cell-leukemia/)
- drugs: [Pivekimab sunirine](https://onco.cc/drugs/pivekimab-sunirine/), [Tagraxofusp](https://onco.cc/drugs/tagraxofusp/)
- companies: [Orum Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/orum-therapeutics/)
- technologies: [Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC)](https://onco.cc/technologies/adc/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/cd123.json